Let's talk about sex, baby

"Millions of young people enter adulthood sexually and emotionally illiterate. Many subsequently endure disordered relationships, ranging from unfulfilling to outright abusive. The result? Much unhappiness – and sometimes mental and physical ill-health. The lack of effective - and statutory - sex and relationship education (SRE) in schools is part of the problem. It is mostly vague and euphemistic, with too little detail and not enough explicitness to be of practical benefit. Much of it concentrates on the biological facts of reproduction, often concerning other species such as rabbits. Very little teaching is actually about sex - or relationships. And it starts too late; usually after young people have become sexually active and adopted bad habits such as unsafe sex."

The annual address by the admirable gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell to the LGBT Humanists (the artist formerly known as GALHA) - which I and Paul attended on Friday - took a distinctly critical look at the lamentable state of the British education system, when it comes down to educating the nation's kids about sex.

Nothing new here, I suppose - I assume that just about everyone in our cross-generational audience entered the weird and wonderful world of sexual discovery at best misinformed, at worst wracked with guilt, and essentially unprepared for "that moment" when the cherry gets popped. Sex "education" as far as I recall consisted of the Ladybird book "Your Body", playground gossip, the underpants pages of the Littlewoods catalogue, confusing medical diagrams, tabloid outrage, porn, and a red-faced and downright embarrassing ten-minute chat with a parent...

Mr Tatchell's proposals - and you can read them in full on the Teach Secondary educators' resource website - are sensible (if likely to set the pig-dogs at the Daily Mail frothing at the mouth with outrage), including frank discussion about matters of consent and enjoyment, safer sex and alternatives to penetration, difference and diversity (including gay and bisexual experiences), and (most important of all) accurate information about the "how, what, when, where and why" of sex and relationships.

It was another lively and thought-provoking evening that generated plenty of debate (despite the session being somewhat shorter than usual as Peter had to travel cross-country for another engagement) - and yet again served to prove that it takes someone like Mr Tatchell to say the things that people (particularly our benighted and under-educated political leaders) need to hear.

More power to the man!

For more information about the Peter Tatchell Foundation’s human rights work, to receive email bulletins or to make a donation, visit www.PeterTatchellFoundation.org.

All human beings everywhere

Paul, Jim and I proudly attended the annual "State of the Nation" (or in this case, "Nations") address by the formidable human rights and LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell last night, on the subject Organised religion is the greatest global threat to human rights (another brilliant event hosted by the marvellous Gay & Lesbian Humanists (GALHA) at the Conway Hall).

Suffice to say, it was jaw-droppingly brilliant. No words of mine can do it justice. Thus I turn to Peter's own words to provide the gist of the almost two hour speech:

"Organised religion is the greatest global threat to human rights; especially to the human rights of women and gay people. It invariably promotes sexist and homophobic discrimination in law."

“The title of Organised Religion is a controversial claim, and you might say that free market capitalism is the greatest threat to human rights. It is debatable what is a greater threat, but I think it is organised religion that is the single greatest threat.”

"From the US and Russia to Uganda and Iran, religious fundamentalism is seeking to thwart equality and human rights. It is the cause of much sectarian violence, as we have seen in the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Pakistan, Burma, Somalia – and for many years in Northern Ireland. In Britain, our Anglican, Catholic, and Muslim leaders tried to block the right of same-sex couples to marry. Most faiths exclude women from senior leadership roles and some seek to deny them contraception, abortion and fertility treatment."

“Fundamentalists of all faiths threaten human freedom on many different levels. The Catholic Church is marginally less misogynistic and homophobic than Islamist extremists, but that’s about it.”

"Obviously, there are some people of faith, such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who are icons of human rights. Their humanitarian work is motivated by a good and positive religious ethos. But, for the most part, religious leaders around the world are the key orchestrators to attacks on human rights. This ranges from evangelical Christian leaders in the UK and the United States, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, orthodox Jewish leaders in Israel and Muslim clerics in many countries. It’s important that we support people in all faith groups, who are working for equality and human rights. It would be wrong to write off all religious people as colluding with persecution and oppression. From my own heart, I’ve been inspired by religious leaders such as Dr Martin Luther King and Archbishop Oscar Romero."

"Senior clerics are often those who are most hostile to women and gay rights. Yet only 5% of British Catholics actually support the Vatican’s opposition to contraception; 11% with the condemnation of homosexuality."

“Secularists support the separation of religion and the state. With no established state religion, there is equality for people of all faiths and none. Secularism is the best guarantor of religious freedom. It is in the interest of people of all faiths, as well as the interests of non-believers. People are entitled to their faith but they are not entitled to insist that their religious values are the law of the land.”

"All human beings everywhere have human rights and no political system or faith should be allowed to undermine them."

Powerful stuff, and not one word with which I would disagree. Here is a video of his recent lecture on the topic at the University of Exeter:

Peter Tatchell - Organised Religion: The Greatest Global Threat to Human Rights

The Peter Tatchell Foundation (PTF) seeks to promote and protect the human rights of individuals, communities and nations, in the UK and internationally, in accordance with established national and international human rights law.

To join up, donate or get involved with Peter in support of this magnificent aim, visit the PTF website.

Derek Jacobi, who?

Hils, History Boy (Crog) and I had a most unexpectedly brilliant evening yesterday, courtesy (once again) of those lovely people from the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA), at the twee Conway Hall.

For we had booked tickets for a new one-man play they were hosting, improbably titled Didn’t You Used To Be Derek Jacobi?. The name alone sounded intriguing enough - but the fact it was produced by none other than Louise Jameson (the sexy savage Leela, assistant to Tom Baker in Dr Who back in the late 70s) was a potential draw for a "Whovian" like Crog (had she actually been there in person, which she wasn't, he would have been thrilled).

We were certainly not disappointed by the performance!

Mr Nigel Fairs is a truly talented actor (and writer, for the play is his work). It takes some stamina to perform alone on stage for an hour and a half - but to change characters (and clothes!) seamlessly while doing so, as the monologues shift from character to character, was pure genius.

The story is in parts hilarious, and in others tugs at the heartstrings as the lives of two "luvvies", Douglas and Leonard, intertwine over the decades until the latter's death. The sad events surrounding that, and his funeral, are largely commented upon by their soft-hearted neighbour Elaine (also played by Nigel), and "she" has some of the best lines of the whole shebang.

We were utterly gob-smacked, and couldn't wait to congratulate Mr Fairs on his triumph!



As did The Brighton & Hove Argus, which gave the play a rave review:

While weaving a sad tale of love, sex and The Milky Bar Kid, Nigel Fairs portrays three characters – Douglas, Leonard and Elaine... The set is a dressing room and the story concerns two actors, Leonard and Douglas, who are never lovers although each man clearly loves the other.

Fairs relaxes his audiences and leads them through the 85-minute performance with considerable pathos and humour. He even persuades everyone to close their eyes while Elaine gets changed.

Here is the trailer for this superb performance piece, and I advise anyone who can, to go and see it!

Didn’t You Used To Be Derek Jacobi? trailer

Nigel Fairs official website

From celeb heaven to Russian reality

I attended two gay rights-themed events last week, and needless to say they could not have been more different if they tried.

On Thursday evening, Tanya (my colleague in the Islington Council LGBT Staff Forum) and I went along to the extravagant Stonewall Awards, in the sumptuous surroundings of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). I have been twice before and it is always a joy, with gallons of free champers and a mix of well-dressed supporters, minor celebs and political heavyweights, all there to applaud the winners of the annual accolades from the UK's premier LGB lobbyists.




Antony Cotton, Jonathan Harvey and assorted chums I didn't recognise

It was certainly an impressive "do". We really enjoyed ourselves as we meandered through the crowd, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Skin from Skunk Anansie, Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, TV stylist Gok Wan, TV chef Allegra McEvedy, Dan Gillespie-Sells of The Feeling, the ebullient Jonathan Harvey, Commander Bernard Hogan-Howe (chief of the London Metropolitan Police), playwright Alexi Kaye Campbell (of The Pride, currently playing in the West End), dear Neil McKenna, Jodie Harsh, James Wharton, various politicians and TV (especially soap) stars, and...



...the gorgeous Layton Williams (from house fave TV series Beautiful People), who was somewhat more conservatively dressed on this occasion (dammit!).


Stonewall CEO Ben Summerskill and co-host Susan Calman

And, so, to the awards themselves...

Nearly 500 people, including celebrities, sports stars, politicians and writers, joined host Susan Calman at the ceremony to honour those who’ve made a positive contribution to the lives of Britain’s 3.7 million gay people.

Thousands of Stonewall supporters voted to name Lord Alli and the Russian LGBT Network as joint Hero of the Year, supported by Gender Gap. Lord Alli has been a tireless advocate for equality since he became the first openly gay member of the House of Lords 15 years ago. He was instrumental in successfully navigating equal marriage through the House of Lords this year.

The Russian LGBT Network was recognised for its courageous work to support gay people in Russia despite gay ‘propaganda’ bans and ever increasing hostility. In a statement the Russian LGBT Network said that Britain’s "journey from Section 28 to marriage equality inspires us as we campaign against those who seek to deny us our fundamental human rights".

Waheed Alli


Quakers

The Quaker LGBT Fellowship was named Community Group of the Year by Stonewall supporters for their long-standing commitment to equality. The group was presented with a cheque for £5,000 – kindly provided by The Inclusive Foundation and supported by Square Peg Media – to continue their work to promote equality and religious freedom.

Stonewall supporters overwhelmingly voted US TV evangelist Pat Robertson as 2013’s Bigot of the Year – the award reserved for an individual who has gratuitously caused hurt and offence to gay people around the world. Robertson – a long standing and vocal opponent of equality – hit headlines in August by saying that gay men viciously spread HIV when shaking hands by using ‘special rings’.

Metro was named Publication of the Year for its frequent and incidental coverage of gay issues. Judges praised the newspaper, a must-read for millions of commuters across Britain, for its balanced and extensive coverage of important issues such as equal marriage and homophobia in football.

CBBC’s Marrying Mum & Dad became the first children’s show to be named Broadcast of the Year in recognition of the shows sensitive and moving portrayal of children planning the civil partnership of their proud parents.

Baroness Stowell


Antony Cotton

In a landmark year for equality Baroness Stowell was named as Stonewall’s Politician of the Year for her unstinting work to secure marriage for same-sex couples. The Conservative Peer was applauded for her deft handling of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in the House of Lords.

Coronation Street’s Antony Cotton was voted Entertainer of the Year. The soap favourite was commended for his decade of walking the nation’s favourite cobbled street as a proud gay role model.

Scottish writer Damian Barr took home the prize for Writer of the Year for his biography Maggie and Me which was praised for its honest and compelling narrative of growing up gay.

Wales’ only gay-friendly rugby club, the Cardiff Lions, beat tough competition to take home the Stonewall Sports Award of the Year, supported by Paddy Power, in recognition of their grass-roots work supporting gay people in sport and defying stereotypes.

The Independent’s Grace Dent was named Journalist of the Year for her unflinching support of equal marriage in the mainstream media. The columnist, author, TV critic and restaurant reviewer was applauded for her humorous and honest coverage of gay issues throughout the year.

Mamas & Papas scooped the first ever Stonewall Award for Advert of the Year for its campaign featuring same-sex parents. The brand proudly declared ‘This is how we roll’ with its commitment to support different families.

Grace Dent and Damien Barr

It was a very good selection of winners - and the entire thing was uncontroversial, for a change this year. Even the "Bigot of the Year" was a fairly unequivocal choice - for who could disagree with labelling Pat Robertson, the man who still calls for gay people to be stoned to death, and blames us for the terrorist atrocity of "9/11", a bigot?

---

Stonewall itself is largely perceived these days, however, as a bit of an "establishment" institution, probably more so for its hosting of glittering events like this than its "in-yer-face" campaigns such as "Some People Are Gay - Get Over It!". And some of its antagonists and critics do have a point...



Such a critic is the tireless human rights and gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, whose "annual address" LGBT Rights at Home and Abroad Alex Hopkins and I went to on Friday evening (hosted by those lovely people of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) at the twee Conway Hall in Holborn).

Mr Tatchell tackled head-on the dreadful situation in Russia, and explained how much hard work and support is needed if the Russian LGBT Network are going to win back the briefly-held rights and tolerance for gay people in Russia that they received between the fall of Communism and the rise of Putin's fascist regime, which has condoned the current wave of oppression.

He laid into the Commonwealth, an organisation whose membership includes of a quarter of the countries in the world in which varying degrees of homophobic oppressive legislation are still in place - notably Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria, Cameroon, Malaysia and Jamaica, and whose next conference will be hosted by the murderous regime in Sri Lanka.

He of course highlighted the problems that still remain with religious intolerance towards LGBT people - here at home, in the USA, in the Islamic world and in the evangelist-influenced countries of the third world including in Africa and South America.

And he tackled Stonewall's own intransigence when it comes to its support for the flawed "Equal Marriage Bill", which Peter pointed out was not even close to "equal" in five discrete ways:

• The Church of England and the Church in Wales are explicitly banned from performing religious same-sex marriages, even if they decide they want to.
• The special requirements and costs of registering premises for the conduct of religious same-sex marriages are much harsher than for opposite-sex marriages in religious premises. In the case of shared premises, all other sharing faith organisations have to give their permission for the conduct of marriages involving LGBT people. In effect, they have a veto.
• Pension inheritance rights are fewer on death of a same-sex marriage spouse. The surviving partner is not entitled to inherit the full value of their pension if it was begun prior to 1988 (only the value of contributions since 1988 can be inherited). There is no such sweeping limitation on pension inheritance in the case of opposite-sex marriages.
• There is no restoration of the marriages of trans people that were annulled as a precondition for them securing a gender recognition certificate. The spouse of a transgender person must consent to the marriage continuing after the issue of a gender recognition certificate.
• The legislation does not repeal the ban on opposite-sex civil partnerships. Straight couples continue to be banned from having a civil partnership, even though the government’s own public consultation on equal marriage found that 61% of respondents supported the right of heterosexual couples to have a civil partnership if they desire one. Only 24% disagreed.

Mr Tatchell is a one-man battalion in his long and hard-fought campaigns for our rights, and likely one who will never be seen sucking-up to the politicians, the "great and the good" of the establishment - and, as he gives them such a constant drubbing, would never be seen dead at the V&A Stonewall bash.

More power to his elbow, I'd say!

In all, a good - if contrasting - pair of events in the LGBT rights calendar.

Stonewall

Peter Tatchell Foundation

Separate church and state

As featured today by the lovely Henry over at Barbarella's Galaxy, when Our Glorious Leader Queen Madge was asked (by the slobbering hordes of fans on some social network that escapes me completely, Reddit):

"What should religion and politics do to help World Peace?"

Madonna answered:

"Not get involved with one another. Separate church and state!"



By coincidence (was she there?!), this was one of the slogans I and a couple of hundred others were chanting last Saturday as I joined the lovely people of GALHA (Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association) to traverse through London in the wind and drizzle - for the protest march and rally for the Secular Europe Campaign...

Secular Europe Campaign march and rally September 2013, part 2 of 3

The camaraderie among the marchers was brilliant - we chanted, we waved our makeshift placards (mine said "Should Governments do God?") at passing tourist buses, and we congregated in our designated spot opposite Downing Street (we had to oust a protest against Britain's support for the repressive Bahraini regime that had overrun...) to hear a selection of excellent speakers - including philosopher and senior lecturer in the University of London Stephen Law, the ever-inspiring Sue Cox of Survivors Voice, Nina Sankari of the Polish Rationalist Association, Charlie Klendjian of the The Lawyers' Secular Society and (of course) our very own Adam Knowles (Chair of GALHA).

All fabulous. All motivating. All crystal clear in their dedication to exposing what is intrinsically wrong about the way religion has an excessive influence over our lives, our freedoms and our legal system in Europe.

Such a shame I had to leave the rally early (I was frozen to the core and my bladder was determined to force me away), and therefore missed (among many others) the keynote speaker Professor AC Grayling - a personal hero of mine:

AC Grayling - Why the world would be better off without religion

The campaign itself is an annual effort that sees many diverse groups united in demanding an end to religious privileges and asking that the European institutions must remain secular.

Starting in 2008, the Secular Europe Campaign has a special focus on the Vatican, given the enormous political and economical power it holds, but aims at representing all the issues around secularism and human rights, including opposition to state-funded faith schools, rejection of religious tribunals and support to equal rights for LGBT citizens.

We protest against:

• the privileged status of the churches under Article 17 of the TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union);
• the privileged status of churches in countries where they are established;
• the special status of the Vatican at the United Nations and its economic and political privileges across Europe;
• state-funded religious schools.

We promote:

• freedom of religion, freedom of conscience and freedom of speech;
• women’s equality and reproductive rights;
• equal rights for LGBT people in all the European Union;
• a secular Europe – democratic, peaceful, open and just, with no privilege for religious or belief organisations;
• one law for all, no religious exemptions from the law;
• state neutrality in matters of religion and belief.

A cause and a campaign dear to my heart, and an occasion I support every year, come wind, rain or whatever.

GALHA

[PS I would have posted about this earlier, but despite my optimism my own photos from this fab day remain - stubbornly - on a spare hard drive that has now decided not to work with our new PC (so I have had to retrieve some from the Web). Groan...]

Shenanigans at the Conway Hall

In the run-up to Pride, as part of the Pride Festival there are a number of arty Big Gay Events going on - including national treasure Clare Balding OBE in conversation with Martina Navratilova, a live radio play recording (that I hope will be broadcast soon!) on the History of Polari (the lingo), the launch of the British Museum's A Lttle Gay History guide at Gay's The Word bookshop, (the "other") Polari ("London's peerless gay literary salon"), and much, much more...

Yesterday (Friday 21st June), I went to one of them - a very special literary event hosted by the lovely people of the Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA), titled Shenanigans! Gay Men Mess With Genre. A compilation of writing by some excellent gay authors, the book began with an invitation from editor (and author of the fantastic "Brenda and Effie" series of comic mystery stories) Paul Magrs:

“Dear Everyone,

How do you feel about writing a short story for me? I’m about to edit a story anthology for Obverse Books and I’m going to invite a select number of gay men to write stories based in a genre – any genre they like – and maybe more than one at a time.

I love the idea of writers working in different genres and using the rules for each one… but I do have this theory that when gay men write detectives, space opera, paranormal romance or whatever… there’s a bit of subversion and bending of the rules going on. I’m after mash-ups and literary crossovers… a bit of Camp Cosy Crime and some satirical thrillers; sexy confessional tales and some time travel; magical realism and outrageous mythic fantasy.

What do you think…?

Love, Paul x”

Among the respondees to Paul's lovely invitation were the four who read for us in the quaint surroundings of the Conway Hall. First to the podium was the multiple book prize-winning author, lecturer and DJ Jonathan Kemp. His story The Tain of the Mirror (in the "horror" genre) told the chilling tale of a sadistic self-obsessed gay man, and the suffering his adoring boyfriend had to go through - until one day, the obsession with his own reflection proves his grisly comeuppance... You could hear a pin drop across the room. Stunning.



Mr Kemp was followed swiftly by the rather lovely Joseph Lidster (writer on Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, who we saw at the LGBT History Month Every Good Thing event at the Petrie Museum). His tale Soul Man was a sort-of-ghost-story, revolving around spooky goings-on in a stifling small town in rural England with a series of unexplained murders, and a surprising twist at the end when our narrator finally discovers the truth. This was a particularly absorbing story, read as a "duet" with our host Ricky - I was mightily impressed, and will be seeking out more of Mr Lidster's work, no doubt.



Superstar-biographer, showman and impresario (and another multi-award-winning author) Rupert Smith provided, inevitably, the most entertaining reading. Rather than take just one genre to mess with, Rupert decided to tackle four differing styles - Jackie Collins-style glossy melodrama, gay porn, horror and (overblown) literary fiction - in one story! Hilariously using a scarf as a prop to illustrate the changes in temperament as The Reason, his tale of the pretty rich boy, the mysterious stranger (with the big cock), the horrific murder and the pensive reflections after the event, he was (as always) incredibly entertaining - everyone loved it!



I felt a bit sorry for our fourth and final reader having to follow that tour-de-force performance, but as-yet-unpublished author Nick Campbell proved more than up to the challenge. His story The Corrective Tender took a more sci-fi/fantasy turn - involving a very mysterious organisation offering regeneration and rebirth, different parallel worlds and twists of fate, an offer gleefully taken up by a confused gay lad in order to undo parts of his life and his relationship that he regretted. Or were we all being bamboozled? It was an excellent end to an excellent set of readings.

The panel took a few questions, addressing the shameful state of gay publishing at the moment in Britain, and the contrary nature of writing as a gay man, feeling generally pigeon-holed (or even rejected) whatever genre one chooses.

I left, satisfied but intrigued. It was such a shame there were no copies of the Shenanigans book on sale, as I'm certain the rest of the stories will be as good - must order a copy!

Shenanigans! Gay Men Mess With Genre is published by Obverse Books

Look inside, look inside your tiny mind

Today marks the 9th annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDaHo), and it is important to remember some salient facts.

• Across the world, 78 countries criminalise same-sex relationships. In nine countries, sanctions can go as high as the death sentence.
• An estimated six million LGBT students worldwide drop out of school because of harassment by peers and by staff; and the suicide rate amongst LGBT teenagers across the world is disproportionately high compared to perceived "straight" peers.
• There were 1,123 reported killings of transgender people in 57 countries between 2008 and 2012.

In Russia several authorities have adopted laws banning “homosexual propaganda”, and there is a very real threat this will become federal law. In Eastern Europe, many former Soviet states are increasingly adopting the same anti-gay rhetoric and legislation.

In the US, the recent coming-out of black baseballer Jason Collins opened the floodgates for a wave of nasty-minded (racist as well as) homophobic bigots to "exercise their democratic right to free speech".

Despite major progress towards equality in states such as Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, there is a dangerous wave of Catholic-sponsored bigotry pervading other Latin American countries such as Venezuela and Ecuador.

In Africa, post-colonial evangelical churches with homophobic views hold the balance of power in a vast majority of its nations; and across the Arab and Islamic world, the rise of homophobic fundamentalism shows no sign of abating.

Even here in so-called enlightened Europe, the recent attempts to get a law legalising gay marriage in France had a vicious struggle to face before being adopted by its parliament.

To mark this year's IDaHo, I went along to a thoroughly enlightening and absorbing lecture (hosted by those marvellous people at the Gay and Lesbian Humanists Association - GALHA), as Dr Matt Cook of Birkbeck College spoke on the subject of "Britain's Sexual Revolution". Taking the period commonly associated with sexual revolution in Britain - roughly between 1965 and 1970 - and its "astonishing pace of change", he put the momentous events of that era and beyond into context against the background of the puritanical post-1945 period that saw more persecution (and prosecutions) of LGBT people in Britain than had ever before been recorded.

And here is the entire talk, in full:

Dr Matt Cook - Britain's Sexual Revolution, part 1 (IDaHo event, hosted by GALHA)

Dr Matt Cook - Britain's Sexual Revolution, part 2 (IDaHo event, hosted by GALHA)

Dr Matt Cook - Britain's Sexual Revolution, part 3 (IDaHo event, hosted by GALHA)

Dr Matt Cook - Britain's Sexual Revolution, part 4 (IDaHo event, hosted by GALHA)

[Check about 8:10 into part four to see someone you might know asking a question!]

It will take some effort for those of you who did not attend to sit through the whole two hours - but it is well worth watching, to learn some surprising facts about modern LGBT history and our journey from post-war pariahs to the burgeoning sense of progress towards equality we (privileged citizens of a Western democracy) in the UK are experiencing today. I found it utterly fascinating...

Of course, there is a simpler message - as is traditional on this day every year at Dolores Delargo Towers - to address all homophobes wherever they lurk across the world:

GayClic Collab Against Homophobia - Fuck You!

If you haven't done anything to show your support for IDaHo yet, the official website has some "quick fix" ideas.

Taking a more camp approach to awareness-raising, there is also a "flashmob" planned for 5pm today in Trafalgar Square - hordes of people are expected to take part in a synchronised "big dance", to Beyoncé's Single Ladies! Shame I can't be there...

Previous blogs about IDaHo may be found here, here and here.

Eternal vigilance

Paul, Jim and I went last night to "Secularist of the Year" Mr Peter Tatchell's annual "State of the Nation" address (we went to his last one back in March 2011) - titled The Unfinished Battle for LGBT Rights. Once again the event was hosted by our dear friends the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) at the quaint Conway Hall. Next door the Carablanca Tango Club was in full swing, and elsewhere the various rooms in this maze of a building were being used for lectures and voluntary group meetings, and applause and violins echoed through the corridors.

Needless to say, Mr Tatchell was as charismatic and convincing as ever, and here are my own summaries of what he had to say - and just a few extracts from his own writings on the matter.

He began with a summation of the progress that has been made:

"In less than decade, we have seen huge improvements in LGBT human rights, such as equalising the age of consent, introducing civil partnerships, repealing Section 28, outlawing homophobic discrimination and allowing same-sex couples to adopt children. Centuries of homophobic laws have been wiped from the statute books in an amazingly short period of time."

Yet, as he pointed out, it is worth considering that the last of the specifically homophobic laws was only removed from the statute books in 2003, and the current Equality Act protects minorities against harassment, except on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The current coalition government has committed itself to the principle of equal marriage. Mr Tatchell applauds their stance, even if for him marriage is not an institution with which he agrees. However, when critics of equality cite the existing law, and ask why gay campigners are not satisfied with the existence of civil partnerships, he argued "Separate is not equal":

"Civil partnerships are not equality. Separate laws are not equal laws. Even if, like me, you are critical of the institution of marriage, to ban LGBT couples from getting married is an act of bare-faced homophobic discrimination. It is a system of sexual apartheid. We now have a situation where lesbians and gays are banned from civil marriage (homophobia) and straights are banned from civil partnerships (heterophobia). This exclusionist two-tiered system of partnership law is not equality. It perpetuates and extends discrimination. Marriage is the gold standard. Civil partnerships are second best."

He highlighted the fact that despite UN conventions on providing a "safe haven" for persecuted LGBT people from repressive countries, Britain's asylum system is "rigged" to fail as many refugees as possible:

"The Home Office is refusing asylum to LGBT refugees who have been jailed, tortured and raped in countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Nigeria, Jamaica, Iran, Algeria, Zimbabwe and Uganda. It says they won’t be at risk of arrest and murder if they go back home, change their names, hide their sexuality and behave ‘with discretion’. Accordingly, it is ordering the deportation of LGBT refugees, despite the danger they could be imprisoned or killed on return to their home countries.

"The police and the Crown Prosecution Service permit record stores and radio stations to promote CDs by homophobic reggae singers who openly advocate the murder of queers. The Home Secretary gives these singers visa and work permits. Government ministers would never tolerate similar ‘murder music’ against Jewish or black people. Why aren’t LGBT people entitled to the same legal protection?"

Significantly, Mr Tatchell saved a high degree of vitriol for our education system, and called for further measures to stop homophobic bullying in schools. "Kids are not born bigoted, they become bigoted", he said:

"Section 28 may have been repealed, but many schools are failing to challenge homophobic and transphobic bullying. This bullying affects both LGBT pupils and LGBT staff. For many of them, school is not a safe space. Verbal or physical abuse is experienced by around two-thirds of LGBT school kids. LGBT teachers are also often subjected to taunts, ridicule and threats by homophobic pupils. They do not always get support and back-up from other teaching staff.

"... faith schools [are exempt] from curriculum guidelines; allowing them to continue to teach sex and relationship education in accordance with their anti-gay religious values. The reality is that too few schools of any kind impart an understanding of LGBT people and issues."

He concluded with a warning from history - a point I have reiterated here before - that we should never be complacent about what we, as campaigners for LGBT rights, have achieved so far. Hard won gains can be lost at any time. He used an apposite quote from the anti-slavery campaigner Wendell Phillips (1811-1884): "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."

There followed a lively question and answer session (in which, among other things, Mr Tatchell humorously recounted his one and only heterosexual "wet dream"!). The whole event was being filmed by GALHA, and I look forward to seeing the coverage on YouTube soon...

Once again, a marvellous event that I wouldn't have missed for the world.

Visit Peter Tatchell's website, and, if it is your wont, please donate to his human rights campaign to ensure he has the funds to continue his valuable work!

Life is quite absurd, and death's the final word

I joined hundreds of supporters of the Campaign for a Secular Europe campaign march through central London and rally today, and it was certainly an impressive day.



Many and varied were the speakers - including Peter Tatchell, Adam Knowles (Gay And Lesbian Humanist Association), Sue Cox (Survivors Voice Europe), Antony Lempert (Secular Medical Forum), Professor Richard J. Norman (University of Kent), Nahla Mahmood (Council of ex-Muslims of Britain) and Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society. Here is his speech in full:

If you've seen the newspapers this morning or the TV news, you won't need me to make the case for secularism.

I have to admit, though, that neither secularism nor anything else could have controlled the insanity that has swept the Middle East and beyond over the past few days. There is religious madness involved, but also religious manipulation. This is as much about power-seeking as it is about offence at a film.

These Islam-dominated nations have a long way to go before secularism even becomes a remote possibility, but in Europe we are ready.

The people – when they are asked – say that they don't want religion to interfere in politics. They don't want priests in parliament. They don't want the pope's vision of the world. And yet politicians of all hues still indulge the would-be theocrats.

The Vatican is accorded ridiculous influence in the institutions of the European Union. There is no justification for this. But whenever an issue arise of what they see as "conscience" and we would regard as of human rights, their voice prevails above everyone else's.

We in Europe are ready and prepared for gay marriage. Many nations already have it and the terminal consequences that the Vatican and the Church of England predict did not come to pass.

A woman's right to abortion is secure almost everywhere in Europe – except in those nations still dominated by the Catholic Church.

In stem cell research, in the right to unfettered access to contraception, in the matter of choosing our own moment to die – in all these issues the churches seek to impose their doctrines by law on not just their congregations, but on everyone.

It is time now for politicians to lose their fear of religious leaders, to accept that they can't corral their followers into a voting bloc, and to give the people what they want - a peaceful, tolerant and progressive society.

We will never have such a society while politically-motivated religious bodies are permitted to call the shots.

Secularism is the answer. Of course religion and religious believers have a place in a democratic society, but that place must not be more privileged than anyone else's.

Secularism can underpin democracy to bring fairness and justice to everyone, without fear or favour. Make sure you take every opportunity to make that case.

An important message, and one I am proud to support.

We also had some musical entertainment, and among the sing-a-long songs was this gem:

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python's Life of Brian)

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath

Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the right side of life...
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life...
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(I mean - what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life...

Secular Europe Campaign

Bonobo sex in the Brockway Room

Rounding up a week of academic gay historical lectures - first "Monsieur", then Antinous - rather well, I thought, Jim and I returned to the austere Conway Hall (we were there en masse for the previous GALHA event The Vinyl Closet last week) for Against Nature? - Homosexuality and evolution, presented by Professor Volker Sommer.

Evidently Professor Sommer is exceptionally popular as the event was well over-subscribed, and the hall's Brockway Room was absolutely packed to the gunnels with an eclectic mix of radical fairies, student types, posh and not-so-posh, old and young, gay and straight alike. I got there early, and bagged seats near a radiator on this exceptionally freezing night, for which we were very grateful.

And what a lecture it was, too - who would have thought the male-to-male and female-to-female encounters of bonobo, dolphins or sheep would be so fascinating?

"Same-sex sexual behaviour is often condemned on the grounds that it is "against nature". Indeed, biology tells us that selection favours those who leave more offspring. But then, homosexual behaviour is widespread - not only amongst humans, but other animals alike, be they flamingos, gorillas, dolphins or bisons. Doesn't this constitute a paradox for Darwinian theory? And is there a connection between what goes on in nature and what is morally desirable?"

We were captivated. Inevitably there were dozens of questions, which always makes for a vibrant occasion. There is no need for me to go into any further detail, for you can watch this video presentation of the whole thing and see what I mean:

Against Nature? - Homosexuality and evolution

LGBT History Month continues throughout February 2012.

Darwin Day is 12th February

Brett and Ted's Excellent Adventures continued

We went to the first of our planned LGBT History Month events on Friday evening - the newest outing of The Vinyl Closet, an examination of gay themes, singers and trends in popular music throughout the 20th century.

As this was a fundraiser for the Lesbian and Gay Humanists (GALHA) - an organisation very dear to my heart, staunch as they are in challenging the abuse of power, and the personal abuse inflicted on us (and others), by organised religions - I didn't really mind that this was going to be a repeat (a compilation) of the two instalments I have been to before.

Read my blog about The Vinyl Closet part 1 in 2010

Read my blog about The Vinyl Closet part 2 in 2011

Suffice to say, this was another exceptional evening's entertainment, as the lovely Brett and Ted once more took us on a journey from the earliest innuendo-charged Blues music in 20s America, right through to the fey "is he, isn't he?" teasing of Morrissey in the 1980s. It was all the better because two of our gang had not been to the previous shows, so this was a fabulous eye-opener for them!

Ted has a lovely voice, and again paid fittingly soulful tributes to the likes of Elvis, The Kinks, Tom Robinson and Queen (and, er, Cliff), the musicals The Wizard of Oz, Easter Parade, Hair and The Nervous Set, from which The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men is taken.

So without further ado, I make no apologies for featuring this Shirley Bassey classic once more...

Shirley Bassey - The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men

And, just as a twist - here's the magnificent Marc Almond and Antony (of the Johnsons) with their version:

Marc Almond & Antony - The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men

I sincerely hope that next time The Vinyl Closet makes its outing, we get the long-awaited part 3 - from the 80s to date. I have absolutely no doubt Mr Almond will be featured...

The Vinyl Closet

GALHA

LGBT History Month continues throughout February 2012.

Flags, Closets, Salons, Dukes, Gods - and Steampunk!

Tomorrow marks the start of LGBT History Month, which continues throughout February.

That's yours truly at the back of the above photo - as co-Chair of the LGBT Forum, celebrating the arrival of the very first Rainbow Flag in its history to grace the flagpole above Islington Town Hall!

As ever, London has a fair smattering of events to mark the month, not least the on-going Joe Orton exhibition Malicious Damage. I am particularly looking forward to:

• The Vinyl Closet this Friday (3rd Feb) - a third outing of the entertaining history evening that uncovers portrayals of LGBT lives in popular music, organised as a fundraiser by the Lesbian and Gay Humanists. Visit the website (and notice where the links to the reviews of their previous shows point!)
• Our regular monthly highlight, "London's peerless literary salon" Polari on Monday 6th, with readings from Tiffany Murray, Faarea Masud, Catherine Hall, Jack Scott, Vicky Ryder and Max Wallis. Islington should be hosting a local "mini-Polari" as well, if arrangements are ever finalised...
• On Tuesday, a special lecture on Philippe I, duc d'Orléans (the flamboyant bejewelled brother of Louis XIV, known as "Monsieur") at the Wallace Collection (a museum I have never been to, so double the excitement!)
• Antinous, Last God of the Ancient World (on Thursday 9th at the marvellous Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology), a "lavishly illustrated lecture" on the legendary youth whose death drove his lover the Emperor Hadrian to create a god-cult in his name.

There are of course many other events that we have yet to decide whether we will go to, including a history of gay people who helped win WW2, Olga Niewert's tribute to Klaus Nomi, a new performance play by La John-Joseph called Boy in a Dress, and a gay history tour of the fabulous Eltham Palace, but we'll see how the month pans out.

The closing gala ball on 24th February at Islington's Art Deco Assembly Hall is taking enough planning/shopping as it is - its dressing-up theme being "Steampunk", a currently trendy style that fascinates me (admirably described by one wit as "What happens when Goths discover brown"). And we all know how much I like dressing-up...

Just Glue Some Gears On It and Call It Steampunk

All this, and the beloved other half Madam Arcati's birthday, too! How will we cope?

---

In the United Kingdom LGBT History Month is observed during February to coincide with the celebration of the 2005 abolition of Section 28. Visit the official website.

Giving head, sad young men, and sing-a-long-a Tom Robinson

Paul and I went along to the long-awaited second part of The Vinyl Closet yesterday afternoon. Madame Arcati and I went to the first one back in February last year for LGBT History Month (read my blog of that occasion, which incidentally the organisers GALHA used in their publicity for yesterday!), and we loved it, so I guessed we would be in for another treat.

The Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) crowd are a lovely and eclectic mix of people. Unfortunately they were holding their AGM immediately prior to the event, which over-ran by an hour. They evidently have lots to talk about! However, having already spent a couple of hours sunbathing (in October!) in the rose garden in Regent's Park earlier that afternoon, I was not too upset to find myself topping up the tan outside The Dolphin Arms off Red Lion Square while waiting...

Anyway, eventually we mosied in to the twee Conway Hall where our eminent experts and performers Ted Brown and Brett Lock were champing at the bit to get started. The remit for the last event was to cover gay-themed music from the early part of the 20th century to the landmark of Stonewall in 1969. The parameters of yesterday covered the music from that point onwards, starting with the free-and-easy 70s. So it was inevitable, really, that the polysexual world of Lou Reed would provide a brilliant opening number (sung with a smooth, soulful twist by Mr Brown):

Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side

Remarkably uncontroversial despite its content, the duo explained how when Walk On The Wild Side was first played, mainstream society at the time had very little understanding of the terminology used by Mr Reed (described as "the American version of Polari") so did not realise that "looking for soul food and a place to eat" is a direct reference to seeking sex with black men, and even the references to "giving head" did not register as the phrase was not common parlance at the time. So the song was not widely banned, and became (quite rightly) a critically-acclaimed all-time classic.

Changing the mood somewhat, Brett and Ted turned their attention to a most poignant song (beautifully sung) - the Ballad of the Sad Young Men, originally written for the "beatnik musical" The Nervous Set by Fran Landesman. Sung from the perspective of a female character, commenting on her gay friends' lives, its references to "sad" men and "playing at making love" were obviously roundly criticised - but as Ted observed, when Ms Landesman wrote it, this was probably well before any kind of gay life was possible in public for fear of arrest and persecution, so we have to make allowances. Here's every "sad young man"'s favourite diva Shirley Bassey, jazzing the song up for a very knowing audience...

Shirley Bassey - Ballad of the Sad Young Men

Sing a song
Of sad young men
Glasses
Full of rye
All the news
Is bad again
Kiss your dreams
Goodbye

All the sad young men
Sitting in the bars
Drinking up the night
Missing all the stars

All the sad young men
Drifting
Through the town
Drinking up the night
Trying not to drown

All the sad young men
Singing in the cold
Trying to forget
That they are
Growing old

All the sad young men
Choking on their youth
Trying to be brave
Running from the truth
Autumn turns
The leaves to gold
Slowly dies the heart
Sad young men
Are growing old
That's
The cruellest part

All the sad young men
Seek a certain smile
Someone they can hold
For just
A little while
Tired little girl
She does the best
That she can
Trying to be gay
For a sad young man

While a grimy moon
Blossoms up above
All the sad young men
They play
At making love

Misbegotten moon
Shine
For sad young men
May your gentle light
Guide them home again
All the sad
Sad sad young men

In complete contrast, next up the focus crossed back across the Atlantic to "Swinging London", and to the genius of The Kinks (and we wonder where they got that name from?). Lola is indeed a bizarre song which, despite its lyrics involving the relationship between a man and a transvestite, was only ever banned by the BBC because it name-checked a brand (Coca-Cola - the lyric had to be re-recorded as "cherry cola").

Kinks - Lola

I met her in a club down in old Soho
where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Cherry Cola
C-O-L-A Cola.
She walked up to me and she asked me to dance.
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said, "Lola"
L-O-L-A Lola, lo lo lo Lola

Well, I'm not the world's most physical guy,
but when she squeesed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola

Well, I'm not dumb but I can't understand
why she walks like a woman and talks like a man
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola

Well, we drank champagne and danced all night,
under electric candlelight,
she picked me up and sat me on her knee,
She said, "Little boy won't you come home with me?"

Well, I'm not the world's most passionate guy,
but when I looked in her eyes,
I almost fell for my Lola,
Lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola

I pushed her away. I walked to the door.
I fell to the floor. I got down on my knees.
I looked at her, and she at me.
Well that's the way that I want it to stay.
I always want it to be that way for my Lola.
Lo lo lo Lola.

Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls.
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world,
except for Lola. Lo lo lo Lola. Lo lo lo Lola.

Well I left home just a week ago,
and I never ever kissed a woman before,
Lola smiled and took me by the hand,
she said, "Little boy, gonna make you a man."

Well I'm not the world's most masculine man,
but I know what I am and that I'm a man,
And so is Lola.
Lo lo lo Lola. Lo lo lo Lola.

Once the closet doors had begun to creak open in the world of theatre with the abolition of the Lord Chamberlain's powers of censorship over drama in 1968, overt sexuality began to make its way onto the British stage - not least with the ground-breaking Hair:

Sodomy (from Hair)

Of course, this new-found freedom was not to the taste of the puritanical Mary Whitehouse and her "Festival of Light" cronies, whose homophobia knew no bounds. But when they found a popular ally in Cliff Richard, he became the target of huge amounts of ridicule from the burgeoning ranks of the Gay Liberation front, not least for his ludicrous hit Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha, which prompted loads of drag queens to don "half male, half female" attire to mime to the song at his concerts. Madam Cliff (who, incidentally, has been living with a male "spiritual adviser" for more than thirty years) soon withdrew his public support for the Whitehouse cause... [NB this blog remains a "Cliff-free zone"]

Ted and Brett, continuing their journey through the 70s, reserved a huge degree of criticism for Dame Elton John, who despite alluding to "The Wizard of Oz", spangly outfits and (at least) bisexuality, still recorded a very anti-dyke song for his seminal album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. With such lyrics as these it is no surprise they were angry:

Poor little darling with a chip out of her heart
It's like acting in a movie when you got the wrong part
Getting your kicks in another girl's bed
And it was only last Tuesday they found you in the subway dead

And who could you call your friends down in Soho
One or two middle-aged dykes in a Go-Go
And what do you expect from a sixteen year old yo-yo
And hey, hey, hey, oh don't you know

Elton John - All the Young Girls Love Alice

It was obvious an event of this nature would have to feature The Killing of Georgie (Rod Stewart's attempt at being gay-friendly - I have actually always been a bit wary of the song). As our hosts did point out, even though the protagonist ends up dead (as was the clichéd end for so many gay characters in song, film and literature over the years), at least there is a degree of sympathy involved (even if the sympathy does not seem to extend to mentioning the fate of Georgie's boyfriend)...

Rod Stewart - Killing of Georgie

From death and negativity to the birth of the "fight-back", we were encouraged to sing along one of the most pioneering and unapologetic of all songs - Glad to be Gay by Tom Robinson Band. Originally written in 1976 for Gay Pride (and banned by the BBC for years), it has had many re-writes in order to remain topical (I heard Mr Robinson singing it at Pride 1985, when one of the targets was the Thatcher Government). Ted did the song justice, in its original version.

Tom Robinson - Glad to be Gay

The British Police are the best in the world
I don't believe one of these stories I've heard
'Bout them raiding our pubs for no reason at all
Lining the customers up by the wall
Picking out people and knocking them down
Resisting arrest as they're kicked on the ground
Searching their houses and calling them queer
I don't believe that sort of thing happens here

Sing if you're glad to be gay
Sing if you're happy that way

Pictures of naked young women are fun
In Titbits and Playboy, page three of The Sun
There's no nudes in Gay News our last magazine
But they still find excuses to call it obscene
Read how disgusting we are in the press
The News of The World and the Sunday Express
Molesters of children, corruptors of youth
It's there in the paper, it must be the truth

Sing if you're glad to be gay
Sing if you're happy that way

Don't try to kid us that if you're discreet
You're perfectly safe as you walk down the street
You don't have to mince or make bitchy remarks
To get beaten unconscious and left in the dark
I had a friend who was gentle and short
Got lonely one evening and went for a walk
Queerbashers caught him and kicked in his teeth
He was only hospitalised for a week

Sing if you're glad to be gay
Sing if you're happy that way

So sit back and watch as they close all our clubs
Arrest us for meeting and raid all our pubs
Make sure your boyfriend's at least 21
So only your friends and your brothers get done
Lie to your workmates, lie to your folks
Put down the queens and tell anti-queer jokes
Gay Lib's ridiculous, join their laughter
'The buggers are legal now, what more are they after?'

Sing if you're glad to be gay
Sing if you're happy this way

Limited for time (especially with a late start), Ted and Brett brushed over a number of significant gay artists with merely a mention. Marc Bolan and David Bowie were referenced in the Lou Reed/Elton John slots, and now, on reaching the 80s, Marc Almond, (the then still closeted) George Michael, Boy George, Jimi Somerville and Holly Johnson were only tantalisingly waved in front of us. If not any of them then who would they choose to feature, we wondered? As it turned out, it was of course that most lyrical of effete artists (who has remarkably, alone amongst the 80s artists mentioned, never actually "come out") Morrissey, with his paean to an attempted cross-generational seduction This Charming Man...

The Smiths - This Charming Man

Apparently, the line "A jumped-up pantry boy who never knew his place" is borrowed from the 1972 film adaptation of Anthony Shaffer's 1970 homoerotic play Sleuth, in which Laurence Olivier plays a closeted author and Michael Caine his desired "bit of rough". The "return the ring" line refers to the older man's advice to the younger hitch-hiker not to get married but to be with him instead. Like all Morrissey's lyrics however, everyone interprets them differently.

And so, reluctantly The Vinyl Closet 2 rolled towards its conclusion with this favourite of the boys, Freddie Mercury's coming-out number Somebody To Love, of which Ted gave a silky smooth rendition to finish the set.

Queen - Somebody To Love

This was another remarkable and excellent event, and one that Paul and I were really pleased to have gone to. Brett and Ted are apparently planning more (and longer) outings for a combined version of The Vinyl Closet 1 & 2, and asked the audience for suggestions for songs they should include. Paul and I of course immediately suggested Bowie, but there are thousands of others that could fit the bill...

They are also planning a new website, which we will look out for, and rather hope there will be another in the sequence of "Vinyl Closets" to bring us up-to-date.

http://www.galha.org/

No religious exemptions!

John-John, Paul and I joined the “Secular Europe Campaign” in its protest march yesterday.


Praise be to the Invisible Stoat of Destiny!

About 1000 of us congregated at the Temple end of the Embankment, with a magnificent array of placards, flags and banners. We joined the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) and many other like-minded groups to protest against:

• the privileged status of the churches under Article 17 of the TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union)
• the privileged position of religious organisations in politics and the law
• the special status of the Vatican in the United Nations
• state-funded faith schools
• the economic privilege and political influence of the Vatican

And to promote:

• freedom of religion, freedom of conscience and freedom of speech
  women’s equality and reproductive rights
• equal rights for LGBT people in all the European Union
• a secular Europe – democratic, peaceful, open and just, immune to the clandestine influence of privileged religious (or other) organisations
• one law for all, no religious exemptions from the law
• state neutrality in matters of religion and belief

At the conclusion of the march - which was very jolly, and got lots of shouts and waves of approval from passers-by along the route - we had a succession of eminent speakers, including Peter Tatchell, the president of the National Secular Society Terry Sanderson and David Pollock, President of the European Humanist Federation.

Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanists Association said:

"We are marching today for a secular Europe. Europe is the continent where secularism was invented, where liberal democracy first flowered, and Europe played a major part in developing the very concept of human rights and we should celebrate that today... What does it mean to live in a free and liberal secular democracy? It means if you don’t like abortion, you don’t have to have one. If you don’t like gay marriage, you don’t have to have one, or be a guest at one. If you don’t like assisted dying for the terminally ill, you don’t have to opt for it. But it also means that you can’t enlist the state to force your choices, preferences, prejudices and dogmas on all your fellow citizens."

Among the shocking revelations from the rally were the personal account of Sue Cox about her own childhood abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest and the church's subsequent cover-up of the facts, the ex-Muslim Maryam Namazie and her forthright views on Sharia law and the burka ("it is not just a piece of clothing - it is a symbol of man's ownership of a woman"), and the Italian campaigner who exposed the €3bn tax exemptions for the Vatican his country gives (and by implication, all EU countries contribute to).

Great stuff, and so important! I am very pleased I was there...

Secular Europe Campaign

One of the more famous of the people lending their endorsement to the campaign was the award-winning author Philip Pullman:

Philip Pullman - Secular Europe Campaign

More about the march and rally (including more pictures from the event)

Another report from the march

"That's the pot calling the kettle beige..."

We trotted off to the twee Conway Hall again last night for a free showing of the original "gay movie" The Boys in the Band, courtesy of GALHA (The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association). [To be followed by a discussion. It would have helped if - particularly on a Friday night - they could have started the shebang on time, but I digress...]

Written for the theatre in 1967 by Mart Crowley, The Boys in the Band just about pre-dated the Stonewall Riots, yet was equally as ground-breaking in its uncompromising subject matter - the lives, loves, friendships and bitchiness of a group of gay men in New York. With its (shocking at the time) scenes of man-on-man kissing, loving relationships, sex, swearing and matter-of-fact discussion of gay matters, it was controversial - to say the least - particularly when it became more widely known thanks to its 1970 film adaptation.

Needless to say, the timing of the release of such an excoriatingly bitter and twisted black comedy met with vocal opposition from within the gay world as well as from the usual suspects (the god-botherers, moralists and bigots, particularly in America). Gay rights activists tore into the self-loathing and bitterness of some of the characters, vilifying the play as concentrating on the "negative" rather than the "positive" aspects of gay life, and internalising the hatred rather than tackling society's homophobia.

All very worthy sentiments. However, this is only to be expected when people who are fighting for their rights encounter a situationist portrayal of what, in fact, was actually "real life" for many better-off urban gays.

In my opinion, much as in other comparable set-piece bitch-fests as The Women or Abigail's Party, the joy is not in its attempts to "represent reality" but to explore the interplay between the characters and their ultimate attempts to destroy each other as part of some self-revealing "game".

Unpleasant secrets and spiteful comments are bandied about by all the characters in turn, as alcohol, marijuana and the unwelcome presence of a mysterious character from our host Michael's past all have an impact on what might otherwise have been a simple (read "camp") celebration of the birthday of the group's Queen Bee, Harold.

Yet in doing so, the brilliance of the writer's creations comes to the fore - the dialogue is superb, the one-liners are eminently quotable, and despite several sharp intakes of breath, as a whole this is a fabulous (and genuinely "classic") masterpiece of theatre, writ large. I loved it - yes, to my shame, this was the first time I had seen it!

Michael: "What is he - a psychiatrist or a hairdresser?"
Donald: "Actually he's both. He shrinks my head and then combs me out."

Emory: "Who do you have to fuck to get a drink around here?"

Michael: "There's one thing to be said about masturbation: you certainly don't have to look your best."

Harold: "Your lips are turning blue. You look like you've been rimming a snowman."

Michael: [about Emory's falling down] "A falling down drunk nellie queen."
Harold: "Well, THAT'S the pot calling the kettle 'beige'."
Michael: [loud, drunken] "I AM NOT DRUNK!"

Tex: "I lost my grip doing my chin ups and fell on my heels and twisted my back."
Emory: "You shouldn't wear heels when you do chin ups!"

Michael: "You're stoned and you're late. You were supposed to arrive at this location at eight thirty dash nine o'clock."
Harold: "What I am Michael is a 32 year-old, ugly, pock marked Jew fairy, and if it takes me a little while to pull myself together, and if I smoke a little grass before I get up the nerve to show my face to the world, it's nobody's god damned business but my own. And how are you this evening?"

Enjoy some of the movie's fab scenes:

The Boys in the Band

If you have yet to experience The Boys in the Band it is available on a region 1 DVD from Amazon.

In a footnote to the film, it is a sad reflection on what happened to a generation of talented gay men after the fight for legality was dissipated, when we find that the play's original director Robert Moore, Kenneth Nelson (Michael), Frederick Combs (Donald), Keith Prentice (Larry) and Robert La Tourneaux (Cowboy/"Tex") were all lost to AIDS. Of the original cast, only Laurence Luckinbill (Hank), Peter White (Alan) and Reuben Greene (Bernard) are still with us.

The film's director William Friedkin, however, went on to bigger things - genre-breaking movies such as The Exorcist, The French Connection and even Cruising - before moving to television, where he still works on top series such as CSI today.

The Boys in the Band on IMDB

---

PS The play's author Mart Crowley is also still alive, was best friends with Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner, worked on the series Hart to Hart and wrote and produced a sequel to Boys in the Band called The Men From the Boys in 2002.

Just say No!

A study published today using their local census data shows that religion in nine countries is set for extinction.

The team took census data stretching back as far as a century from countries in which the census queried religious affiliation: Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland. In all the countries, the indications were a steady rise in those claiming no religious affiliation.

"In a large number of modern secular democracies, there's been a trend that folk are identifying themselves as non-affiliated with religion; in the Netherlands the number was 40%, and the highest we saw was in the Czech Republic, where the number was 60%," according to one of the researchers Dr Richard Wiener.

Read about the study

Here in the UK, nearly two-thirds of people do not regard themselves as "religious", according to a new survey.

The British Humanist Association (BHA), which commissioned the poll, said people often identified themselves as religious for cultural reasons.

Read about the findings

For only the second time, the UK census this year will include an optional question about religious belief.

Yet as BHA chief Executive Andrew Copson says, "Instead of asking, 'Do you have a religion and if so, what is it?', the question asks 'What is your religion?', a closed question that funnels people into giving a religious response, even if they don't go to a church or a mosque, even if they don't believe in God."

Mr Copson also says that the placing of the religious question close to other questions about ethnicity encourages white British householders - even those who never go to church - to tick "Christian" because they believe it is part of their overall cultural identity. "If the number of religious people is artificially inflated in the census, then public policy in matters of religion and belief will unduly favour religious lobbies and discriminate against people who do not live their lives under religion."

Read more

In effect, if people identify themselves as belonging to a particular religion merely by accident of birth or cultural identity, this could directly impinge upon everyone's lives despite the increasing trend in this country towards a secular society.

Already the legacy of years of pro-religious legislation has allowed for the rise of "faith schools", and currently permits religious organisations to exempt themselves from anti-discrimination legislation with regard to the rights of gay and lesbian people.

Anglican Bishops still sit in the House of Lords and pass judgement upon the laws of the land that affect everyone, regardless whether they share their belief. The church is still allowed to form part of our (unwritten) constitution.

These abhorrent situations can and will never change unless they are seen for what they are - an increasingly marginalised and irrelevant minority.

The short answer is simple. If you’re not religious, then answer “No Religion” on the census. I support the Census Campaign wholeheartedly!

Read more about the Census Campaign

Equality in partnership

My admiration for Peter Tatchell knows no bounds! Anyone who can steadfastly stand up for the rights of (often ungrateful) complete strangers against injustice, bigotry, tyranny and prejudice the way he has for decades - often to his own detriment, being beaten up by Mugabe's guards, and violently assaulted by Polish police - can only be worthy of the accolade of a "hero". How many of us would ever be so much of a thorn in the side of the establishment?

And so it was that I had to go and see him deliver his talk Equal Rights: Are we there yet? to the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) at the terribly twee Conway Hall yesterday (Friday) night.

The theme of his speech was about the current "Equal Love" campaign, whereby Mr Tatchell, two gay couples and two straight ones have mounted a legal challenge to overturn the twin bans on same-sex civil marriage and opposite-sex civil partnerships. Their raison d'etre is that there should be equality for all, gay and straight.

He addressed multiple well-reasoned arguments why the situation is so incongruous in the UK, not least the fact that in law the two institutions (marriage and civil partnership) are so intrinsically similar - other than the fact that the sexuality of the parties involved is different in each Act of Parliament - that there is no reason why they should exist as separate entities. As he argued, if there were a piece of legislation that barred, say, Jewish or black people from entering one legal arrangement in favour of another seperately legislated one, there would be a huge outcry!

Supporting him in the legal challenge, he introduced one of the straight couples who eloquently added their personal perspective to the debate.

To resounding applause, he concluded: “The bans on same-sex civil marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships are a form of sexual apartheid – one law for gay couples and another law for heterosexual partners. Two wrongs don’t make a right. In a democratic society, we should all be equal before the law.”



Excellent, as always. And in the question and answer session - facilitated by the rather scrummy Adam Knowles, GALHA Chair - several more revelations were made about the way the British establishment continues to marginalise gay issues. For example, our beloved HM The Queen - I didn't realise that she (nor any member of the Royal Family) has never mentioned the words "gay", "lesbian" or "homosexuality", even when introducing the various Bills that refer specifically to us (age of consent, sexual offences etc) to Parliament. When three people were killed, and countless others were severely injured in the Admiral Duncan bombing, Her Majesty never even sent a word of condolence (as she has in just about every other similar situation involving a tragedy on that scale)! Shocking.

Referring to the recent controversial attempt to stage an "East London Pride" (in response to the gay hate stickers that have started appearing near gay venues) by a group that turned out to have dodgy links to the right-wing English Defence League, Mr Tatchell reiterated his dismay, and said that Muslim organisations and speakers should be invited to participate in any rescheduled Pride in the area. However, he was very revealing in his exposé of the double-standards that the police exercise when it comes to the different ways it deals with anti-Muslim hate and anti-gay behaviour, "for fear of upsetting the Muslim community". The Met apparently know exactly who is involved in the stickering campaign but have refused to do anything about it.

This was a brilliant evening, and one not to be missed for the world...

OutRage's "Equal Love" campaign received its press launch at none other than Halfway to Heaven (remarkably; I heard nothing about this at the time, despite being a regular there):

Peter Tatchell - Equal Love press briefing

Read all about the "Equal Love" campaign